Washington (CNNMoney) - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Wednesday that Democrats in Congress should use strong-arm tactics on Republicans to balance federal deficits and pull the nation from its economic malaise.

Bloomberg, an independent who has belonged to both parties, blamed "both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue" for undermining a full economic recovery. His comments were made in an appearance at the Economic Club of Washington.

soundoff(27 Responses)

Just to add a little something to Bloombergs observation..The Party of No needs to get up off their butts. I am tired of seeing you all hold up your middle finger up at the American people.

September 12, 2012 04:20 pm at 4:20 pm |

truth hurts

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Wednesday that Democrats in Congress should use strong-arm tactics on Republicans to balance federal deficits and pull the nation from its economic malaise.
=========================================================================================

People like this should be no where near the controls of a democratic government. Bloomberg has gone off the deep end. the people of New York city should be very concerned.

September 12, 2012 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

Rudy NYC

Here's my biggest gripe against Bloomberg. NYC had term limits for the Mayor and City Council. The mayor was limited to two terms. The term limits were a ballot initiative voted on and passed by The People of NYC. However, it lacked a provision that said that the City Council and Mayor simply couldn't vote it out of existence, which is exactly what Bloomberg did. The People lost the court fight, and now NYC is stuck with a guy who doesn't know when his time is up.

September 12, 2012 04:27 pm at 4:27 pm |

myviewis

Obama has been president almost 4 years, does Bloomberg really think Obama is going to do this now??????? And when things go wrong who will Democrats blame???????????

""They should say 'All the Bush-era tax cuts are on income groups you care about, and they're expiring Dec. 31st. You need us to help stop it,'" Bloomberg said. "You want to talk about spending cuts and adopting comprehensive tax reform with a lower corporate tax rate? Then talk to us."

September 12, 2012 04:29 pm at 4:29 pm |

myviewis

cali girl

Just to add a little something to Bloombergs observation..The Party of No needs to get up off their butts. I am tired of seeing you all hold up your middle finger up at the American people.
-------------------------

You should work for Bloomberg.

September 12, 2012 04:30 pm at 4:30 pm |

Four and The Door

Bloomberg also said the president has failed to be hands-on enough to break through the gridlock in Congress, especially last summer during the debate over raising the debt ceiling.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Obama has two objectives. First is to spend as much as he can. That's just his "management" style. Try and spend his way through problems. Of course, that's not management at all, but this would be a different discussion.

His second objective is to raise taxes on as many companies and people as he can. This is so he can spend more as in objective number one. Actually, because of this you may have an argument that he only has one objective.

In any event, Obama had very simple input into the debt ceiling crisis. " Please don't make me stop spending! Anything, anything at all... but let me spend. Let me spend...". And so the debt goes up. And the rating goes down. And Obama does nothing to help the situation. We can do better. In fact, we have to, unless someone has a few $trillion hidden away somewhere to help bail out America. We have a big problem to fix and fortunately there are people who are very capable of doing that difficult work. Romney/ Ryan 2012.

September 12, 2012 04:32 pm at 4:32 pm |

myviewis

Rudy NYC
provision that said that the City Council and Mayor simply couldn't vote it out of existence, which is exactly what Bloomberg did
------------------------

Bloomberg obviously doesn't play nice and now 16oz cups are prohibited or is it still being decided on. He does like to tell people what to do. I know he was a Rep and then a Dem, now Independent.

Obama's second term will be easier as he will finally allow himself to be a man in full. His first term was a learning curve for the American people as an empowered man of color was not something the public was completely ready for. If a white male loses his temper he is passionate. If a person of color or a woman lose their temper we have a different word for that. I so look forward to Obama 2 as I think he will continue to make history as he continues to enrich the creed of America in the process.

September 12, 2012 04:34 pm at 4:34 pm |

cali girl

Myviews, have you checked the approval rating of Congress lately? It is in the teens, being led by GOP.
S

September 12, 2012 04:37 pm at 4:37 pm |

Gurgyl

I do not give darn hoot on deficit right now–we need to put this nation on track in a right way which Obama is doing. If rich pay their share deficit is nothing. True. Yes, on OBAMA12.

September 12, 2012 04:41 pm at 4:41 pm |

myviewis

cali girl

Myviews, have you checked the approval rating of Congress lately? It is in the teens, being led by GOP.
S
--------------------–

Obama has been there almost 4 years and are you saying he couldn't do it because of Congress????
So why would voters give Obama another 4 years?????????

September 12, 2012 04:47 pm at 4:47 pm |

Amused

After November 6th, I have a hunch the Democrats will very much control the fiscal cliff debate. They've found their voice after all these years, and the GOP is being perceived as more and more fringe-worthy, whiny, conspiratorial, and downright deceptive. Not just by me, but if you believe the polls across the nation, everyone. Republicans are likely to be a far weaker force in DC this next time around, and I think they're beginning to realize it.

September 12, 2012 05:00 pm at 5:00 pm |

cali girl

Obama has been there almost 4 years and are you saying he couldn't do it because of Congress????
So why would voters give Obama another 4 years?????????

Have you not heard McConnell and Boehner say on inaguration day it was the GOP's job to make Obama a one term President. The are the party of No for a reason.
Ryan on his 3rd most important piece of legislation teamed up with Akin to form the personhood Amendments. It was not to find fixes to the economy or even to create jobs.

September 12, 2012 05:01 pm at 5:01 pm |

myviewis

Amused
I have a hunch the Democrats will very much control the fiscal cliff debate. They've found their voice after all these years
-----------------------

How many years did it take Democrats to find their voices and how much longer will it be??????????

September 12, 2012 05:03 pm at 5:03 pm |

myviewis

cali girl
Have you not heard McConnell and Boehner say on inaguration day it was the GOP's job to make Obama a one term President. The are the party of No for a reason.
Ryan on his 3rd most important piece of legislation teamed up with Akin to form the personhood Amendments. It was not to find fixes to the economy or even to create jobs
---------------------------

Again, if Obama couldn't handle the Republicans in these 4 years, reason he couldn't get anything done, than what makes you think he'll be able to handle the Republicans if he gets another 4 years?????

Logic tells me it will be another 4 years of Obama not getting it done and more excuses and blaming Republicans and our country cannot afford that. Heck, he has spend 4 years (almost) blaming Bush.

September 12, 2012 05:06 pm at 5:06 pm |

just sayin

make everybody pay taxes until the deficit is gone. no exceptions, no exemptions. no spending until you have money to pay for it without borrowing. ante up democrats and all you tax free loaders. let's get this country reaility based.

September 12, 2012 05:09 pm at 5:09 pm |

cali girl

MyViews
I think the American people have their own ideas about who is getting what done. That is why the Approval rating of Congress is in the teens. Americans blame them, and it is pretty evident when GOP has held up signing Student Loan bills, fought him tooth and nail to get Job Bills out there, Infrastructure is another issue they stalled on.
And Rand Paul wants to add Personhood additions to Flood Bills. Or another Farm Aid Bill.
It is pretty evident who is playing games here. You can't remark on McConnel who stated Obama is going to be a one term President?

September 12, 2012 05:13 pm at 5:13 pm |

Bousan

Great let them expire. I will pay more but it does not make any difference to me and alot of other Americans if they do expire. I think our politicians are going to have to pay the price on both sides before anything happens. If they expire I can tell you this its going to hurt the poor a h@ll of a lot more than anyone else but I don't see anything else occuring. Either way we are still looking for our next GREAT leader because it sure isn't Obama or Romney.

September 12, 2012 05:17 pm at 5:17 pm |

Four and The Door

cali girl
Myviews, have you checked the approval rating of Congress lately? It is in the teens, being led by GOP.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Cali girl, a good congress is not a popularity contest. It's not American Idol or So you Think You Can Dance.

Regardless, I am proud of what John Boehner and the Republican House has accomplished since the beginning of 2011. They have scaled back the out-of-control Washington Democratic Debt Machine instantly. They instantly cut $100 billion out of 2011's federal spending and then they held Obama's feet to the fire in the debt ceiling negotiations and forced $trillions in cuts against his wishes. This is why they were sent to Washington. And we will keep them there in November because they listened in 2010. Besides, Romney & Ryan need their support to get America back on track starting next year too.

September 12, 2012 05:23 pm at 5:23 pm |

myviewis

cali girl

MyViews
I think the American people have their own ideas about who is getting what done. That is why the Approval rating of Congress is in the teens. Americans blame them, and it is pretty evident when GOP has held up signing Student Loan bills, fought him tooth and nail to get Job Bills out there, Infrastructure is another issue they stalled on.
And Rand Paul wants to add Personhood additions to Flood Bills. Or another Farm Aid Bill.
It is pretty evident who is playing games here. You can't remark on McConnel who stated Obama is going to be a one term President?
----------------------–

Okay, so giving Obama another 4 years won't make a difference. I think Obama made himself a 1 term President, he's running out of people to blame.

September 12, 2012 05:24 pm at 5:24 pm |

myviewis

Bousan

Great let them expire. I will pay more but it does not make any difference to me and alot of other Americans if they do expire.
--------------------–

Yeah, try that idea on your boss, tell him he'll be paying more taxes in the business and hopefully you won't be going out the door because he won't be able to afford you.

September 12, 2012 05:27 pm at 5:27 pm |

Ancient Texan

Cali girl–You libs keep saying that McConnell made the statement about one term for Obama on inauguration day....that is false!..He made the statement during October 2010, before the mid-term elections that saw the GOP take over the House...BUT Obama said himself that if he hadn't fixed the economy in three years, he should be a one term president..(He was right)

September 12, 2012 05:31 pm at 5:31 pm |

Jerry

Democrats outraged with Romney foreign policy attacks... Fact: Was anyone expecting any other reaction from the Democratic machinery?! The Clueless One and his equally clueless administration were caught sleeping at the wheel. If these bozos had done their job, these incident cold have been prevented. This time, unfortunately, Americans died and others were seriously hurt. They (Democrats) WILL BE UNABLE to sweep this one under the rug as it's usual.

However, you can be sure they will lie their heads off and the lame stream media, of course, will serve as a buffer for Mr. Obamaloney and his flunkie Obamalooneys.

Wake up America before it's too late!!!

September 12, 2012 05:32 pm at 5:32 pm |

cali girl

Four, the Debt celiing crises is still here and the GOP hasn't come to the rescue on it either.
The economy will not get better with Robmey or Rayn, who still want the haves to have more, and the have nots to just go away.